Centrifugal apparatus for cleansing liquids.



R, A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES. CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING LIQUIDS,

APPLICATION FILED NOV-7.1913- Patented Sept. 11, 191? 4 SHEETSSHEET l- R.'A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES. CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING uoums.

V H APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 191a. 19%,7% Patented S 11, 191?.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ESQ

R. A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES.

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7I 19I3. LQWWML Patented Sept. 11,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mt: Invenimm WOC JAM ZZOEertA. Siocuz,

y ,5 MM Jr an Elifiarnes,

v R. A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES. CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING UQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7.1913- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patentedsept. 11, 191?.

7*KUCGLMMA/ ROBET ALEX i =1: arr ores.

Ens-n.

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR, CLEANSING LIQUIDS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dept till, 191"? Application filed November '7, 1913. Serial No. 799,817.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Rosana: ALEXANDER SLOAN and JOHN EDWARD Lnorn BARNns, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residin%in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, ngland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Apparatus for' Cleansin Liquids, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to centrifugal apparatus for cleansing liquids or separating therefrom matter of greater density than the liquid.

The object of our invention is to improve such apparatus so as to increase its output and to make it more efficient in dealing with liquids in which the matter to be removed is in a very fine state of division or very intimately associated with the liquid and not very difl'erent therefrom in specific gravity, all of which conditions render the separation more dificult and require that the liquid in its passage through the apparatus shall remain for a considerable time under the separating action.

The time during which the liquid is subjected to the operation being obviously of the essence of the process, the best results will be obtained when the flow of the liquid from inlet to outlet is as nearly as possible uniform throughout the whole mass of the liquid in the drum, as the time will then be a maximum, being directly proportlonal to the volume of liquid held in the drum and inversel proportional to the rate of feed. Otherwlse, the liquid will flow as directly and as quickly as possible from the inlet to the outlet, and a proportion of the contents of the drum will remain comparatwely unafiected by the flow and will constitute a useless and very objectionable load upon the apparatus; as the volume of liquid in the drum is limited by practical considerations of friction and strength, (the stresses dueto centrifugal force being ver great and Increasing with the load 0 the contained. liquid) this is a very important cons1deration.

One object of our invention is accordingly to insure as far as possible this uniformityof flow by providing means such as bafile plates for directing the liquid in a tortuous path from inlet to outlet so as to prevent short-circuiting.

As it is imperative that there should be nothing to cause eddies or break up the flow,

which would be very detrimental to the separating action, such directing means are carried by the drum and rotate along with the liquid.

Further objects of our invention are to insure that matter separated from one portion of the liquid under treatment shall not be redeposited in another portion thereof; to prevent the difi'usionof spray or vapor into the atmosphere, as such spray or vapor would form a dangerous explosive mixture in the case of some liquids; and to facilitate the removal of the accumulated dirt from the apparatus.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention is especially applicable forinitially charged with a quantity of special soap dissolved therein, and on the complet1on of the process becomes charged with dirt and grease extracted from the articles cleaned.

The spirit has to be purified before it can be used again, and although attempts have been made to accomplish this purification by filtration, the only successful mode hereto.- fore in practical use is one involving distillation, a process which is expensive both in regard to the cost of up-keep of the stills,

and the cost of the steam by which the evaporation is eifected.

The impurities which have to be extracted in cleansing the spirit are very difficult to separate from the spirit owing to the very finely divided state of the dirt and the mixture therewith of the soap and grease; these impurities therefore very soon choke up the necessarily close texture of any filtering medium, and from their chemical nature give rise to corrosion trouble in connection with the heating surfaces of the stills.

As the unexpended soap is dissolved in the spirit, it is not removed by the centrifugal action, and this is a, distinct advantage, as the cost of replenishing it before using the spirit again is avoided.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown by way of example several forms of apparatus for carrying our invention into operation.

Figure 1 shows an aperture chiefly in sec- Mill Wit

tional elevation on an axial plane; Figs. 2 up ,the annulus determined by the radial to 4 and 7 are sectional elevations showing, alternative arrangements of diaphragms or deflectors for directing the flow; Fig. 5 is a plan view, the left hand half correspond ing to Figs. 2 and 7 and the right hand half to Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a removable trough-like device of canvas or the like for catching the deposited dirt, and Figs. 8 and 9 show in elevation and plan a form of the apparatus incorporating a mechanical device for scraping out the deposited dirt.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, 1 is the revolving drum fixed to the center piece 2 which is secured bya nut 3 to the shaft 4;.the latter is mounted at top and bottom in bearings, (preferably ball bearings), of any suitable type carried by the fixed frame work 5. 6 is the'drive pulley fixed to the shaft 4, the drive belt 7 passing through suitable openings in the base of the fixed frame. As it is undesirable to fit a brake directly on the apparatus, a brake is preferably fitted on the shaft which drives the belt 7. The apparatus is preferably driven by a vertical electro-motor which, together with its switches, should be located in a chamber separated from the apparatus.

The revolving casing 1 is made with an internally projecting, flange 1' at the top and its bottom 1' may e perforated and fitted with pipes as at 8 so as to allow dirty liquor to escape, when the a paratus is stopped, into the space 9 forme y the frame 5 and the rim 10 which is fixed fluid-tightly to the frame and extends almost as high as the drum 1. The space 9 just referred to is drained by the dirty liquor outlet pipe 11.

12 is an outer shell fixed fluid-tightly below to the frame 5 and closed in by the removable cover 13. This cover does not require to be fastened down, but it should prevent the escape of spray or vapor, and we accordin ly make it with a deep depending rim 14 dipping into a lip 14, the arrangement forming a liquor seal which is sulficiently deep to withstand such air pressure as may be induced by the rapid rotation of the apparatus.

The supply pipe 15 is ointed to the cover, so that when the pipe joints are made, the apparatus is completely sealed.

The apparatus being started, the liquor is fed in by the pipe 15 which reaches nearly to the bottom of the casing. The mass of liquor revolving with the casing, its inner surface assumes the usual paraboloidal form, but at the high speed attained, the inner surface becomes practically a vertical cylinder as indicated by the dotted lines 16.

The pipes 8 are kept radially within the liquor surface 16 and the delivery end of the supply pipe 15, and the liquor thus fills width of the top flange 1*, after which it es capes over the edge of the flange 1 at the same rate as it is fed into the apparatus.

The escaping liquor is projected tangentially at high speed so that its momentum carrles it over the rim 10 and it collects in the annulus 17 from which it is drawn off by the cleansed liquor pipe 18.

As the liquor is fed in at the bottom and can only escape at the top, it is subjected during its passage to the centrifugal force, and the finely divided articles, provided they are of higher speci c gravity than the liquor, are gradually separated from the liquor and deposited on the drum wall to which they adhere so that they cannot reach the outlet edge over which the cleansed liquor escapes.

he means for directing the flow of the liquid shown in Fig. 1 consist of a series of diaphragms 19 fixed in the drum. The lowest of the series is located above the delivery end of the feed pipe 15, its inner edge is of smaller diameter than the column of liquid, and its outer edge extends almost to the drum, the space left being only Wide enough to insure that the passage way shall not be closed by the accumulated dirt. The next diaphragm fits against the inside of the drum and its inner edge is of larger diameter than the column of liquid at this level; the next diaphragm is arranged like the lowest one, and so on, if the number of diaphragms should be more than is shown.

The liquid is thus compelled to follow the tortuous path indicated by the arrows, and short-circuiting is impossible.

In Fig. 2, the deflectors 20 are cylindrical and arranged vertically; as before their edges are arranged so as to insure the desired tortuous path of the liquor as indicated by the arrows.

Inthis arrangement, the bottom diaphragm 19 is preferably fixed in the casing.

The cylindrical deflectors have the advantage that the liquor is divided into layers of small radial dimensions so that the dirt has to travel a shorter distance before being deposited, and the outer layers of liquor do not receive the dirt separated from the inner layers as this is intercepted by the deflectors.

The deposited dirt must be removed at intervals so as to prevent it from accumulating to such a degree as to interfere with the process; it will be understood that it is not necessary to thoroughly clean out the apparatus for the dirt begins to accumulate again as soon as the process re-commences.

Where the dirt is not too much compacted or tenacious, the cleansing may be effected by first cuttlng ofl" the supply and then arresting the drum by the brake. The mamentum of the contained liquor carries it around within the drum and the resulting scouring action removes the dirt which is flushed out with the dirty liquor through the perforations 8 into the space .9 from which it is led through the pipe 11 to a dirty liquor tank.

Where the dirt is too much compacted or tenacious to be removed in this manner it may be scraped ofl the surfaces by a hand scraper, the cover 13 being lifted by the eye bolt and slung out of the way. To facilitate such cleaning, it is practically necessary to remove the cylindrical deflectors 20 from the casing and it is desirable to remove the flat diaphragms 19.

This may be effected, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, by making the top flange 1 detachable with a jointing flange 21. The diaphragms or deflectors are preferably made as one structure with an outer plate 23 fitting inside the casing 1, so that the whole arrangement carrying most of the dirt with it can be withdrawn en bloc and readily cleaned. The cylindrical deflectors are preferably fixed to each other and to the outer plate 23 by studs or radial plates 22. The liquid pressure at the point 21 is how ever very high when the apparatus is at work and any leakage here would permit comparatively dirty liquor to mingle with the cleansed liquor so that we generally prefor to rivet or weld up this joint and to arrange for the radial withdrawal of the deflectors or diaphragms.

Fig. 5 shows how this may be eflected; 24 are filling-up pieces fixed in the casing 1, and the deflectors, cylindrical (as shown in the left hand half of the figure) or flat (as shown in the right hand half) are made in four sections so that they can be withdrawn radially and lifted out. 25 indicate grooves adapted to take the edges of the horizontal diaphragms 19 so as to locate them and reduce by-passing at their edges.

It will be understood that when the sets of cylindrical deflectors are removed, they are open top and bottom so that the dirt can be readily pushed through with a suitable scraper.

Fig. 7 shows an arrangement of the deflectors whereby the tortuous character of the liquid flow is realized in a very full degree.

The horizontal deflectors 19 are arranged as before and the cylindrical deflectors 20 are in two series.

The liquid flows below the lowest horizontal deflector 19 out to the side of the drum then rises and zig-zags through the lower set of cylindrical deflectors 20 and passes around the inner edge of the second horizontal deflector 19. Then it flows outwardly again below the third horizontal deflector 19 and the action is repeated, the

that comparatively little dirt is deposited on the horizontal surfaces, a still simpler device is a strip of canvas or the like placed as a liner within the casing. This receives almost the whole of the dirt and it can be readily stripped out and replaced.

Instead of cleaning out the dirt by hand, mechanical scrapers may be arranged. For instance, rotatable scrapers may be fitted in the compartments between the flat diaphragms and adapted to be propelled by the momentum of the liquor when the cas ing is arrested. Or axially movable scrapers operated mechanically may be arranged.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a form of the apparatus fitted with mechanically operated scrapers.

The general form of the apparatus is similar to that already described, except that an overhead frame with top hearing and top drive pulley are shown.

27 is a spindle fixed to the overhead frame, and 28 is a rotatable sleeve fitted on the spindle. This sleeve carries rigidly a series of scrapers 29 and it can be partially rotated by the worm screw 30 gearing into the sector 31 fixed to the sleeve. During the ordinary working of the apparatus, the scrapers lie in the position A clear of the column of liquor, and for cleaning, the drum is slowly rotated while the scrapers, are gradually brought into the position B,

the extreme reach of the scrapers being just a little short of the drum wall.

The scrapers are then withdrawn to the position A, and the dirt is flushed out through the dirty liquor pipe 11.

The liquor may be fed into an open funnel 32 so that the rate of supply may be visible, or all the pipes may be jointed up so as to completely seal the apparatus. For the same reason the pipe 15 may be trapped.

The bottom of the casing may, if preferred, be completely closed, especially in those forms of the apparatus where provision is made to withdraw the surfaces on which the dirt is deposited.

This has the advantage that the llquor 1n the casin is not discharged when stopped for cleaning, and the dirty liquor pipe and tank are dispensed with.

The liquor may be cleansed by being feda through two or more rotating casings in succession, the bulk of the dirt being removed in the first casing which would be comparatively large; the casing through which the liquor finally passes bein comparatively small so that it may be sa' ely rotated at a very high speed.

While we have s oken of the deposited matter as dirt, re erring to the cleansing.

1( In a centrifugal apparatus for clean-' ing volatile liquids in combination ;-an outer casing'having a removable cover; a rotatable drum mounted within the casing and havin an inwardly projecting flange adapted, when the drum is rotated, to retain an annular column of liquid within the drum; a liquid supply pipe delivering liquid to the drum at the end thereof remote from the flange; a deflecting plate transverse to the axis having an internal diameter lessthan that of the column of contained liquid; passage-ways between the said plate and the wall of the drum; a series of cylindrical plates staggered in cross-section located between the transverse plate and the drum flange, said cylindrical deflecting plates being formed in integral removable sections and forming a tortuous path for the liquid from the supply pipe to the flange; a division wall forming with the outer casing a clearliquor container adapted to receive the clean liquid discharged by centrifugal force across the edge of the flange of the drum, said liquid passing over sa1d division wall into said clear liquor container.

2. In a centrifugal apparatus, for cleaning volatile liquids in combination;an outer casing having a removable cover; a rotatable drum mounted within the casing and having an inwardly projecting flange adapted, when the drum is rotated, to retain an annular column of liquid within the drum; a liquid supply pipe delivering liquid to the drum atrthe end thereof remote from the flange; a deflecting plate transverse to the axis, havingan internal diameter less than that of the column of contained liquid; passageways between the said plate and the wall of the drum; a series of cylindrical plates staggered in cross-section located between the transverse plate and the drum flange; said cylindrical deflecting plates being formed in integral removable sections with substantially parallel ends; a'series of blocks fixed inside the drum for the ends of the deflector segments to abut against, said deflecting plates between said blocks forming a tortuous ath for the liquid from the supply pipe to t e flange; a division wall forming with the outer casing a clear liquor container adapted to receive the clean liquid discharged by centrifugal force across the edge of the flange of the drum, said liquid passing over said division wall into said clear liquor container. ,7

3. In a centrifugal apparatus for cleaning volatile liquids in combination ;an outer casing having a removable cover; a rotatable drum mounted within the casing and havin an inwardly projecting flange adapted, w en the drum is rotated, to retain an annular column of liquid within the drum; a liquid supply pipe delivering liquid to the drum at the end thereof remote from the flange; transversely arranged deflecting plates carried from the drum, forming a tortuous path from the supply pipe to the flange; a trough like cover of fabric or the like shaped so as to lie over the surfaces of one of the annular sections into which the drum is divided by the deflecting plate, said cover being adapted to receive the dirt sepa-' rated by centrifugal action and to expedite the removalthereof a division wall forming with the outer casing a clear liquor container adapted to receive the clean liquid discharged by centrifugal force across the edge of the flange of the drum, said liquid passing over said division wall into said clear liquor container.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT ALEXANDER SLOAN. JOHN EDWARD LLOYD BARNES. Witnesses:

JOSEPH E. Hms'r, HARRY W. POWER. 

